Love & Coffee
by EverydayGleek
Summary: Regina Mills was having a bad day. It isn't until she meets a new barista at her favorite cafe' that her day begins to make a turn for the best.
1. Chapter 1

Regina Mills was frustrated. Today had been one of the worst days, in the history of worst days. Her morning began with her alarm clock deciding to die on her—making her over an hour late to work and Henry over twenty minutes late to school. The day, then, continued to go downhill from there. First, she missed an important meeting with a potential client; a potential _rich_ client. You see, Regina is a lawyer, and a damn good one at that; she's one of most sought after attorneys in all of Manhattan. Her clientele rate is much higher than that of her male coworkers—or any of her coworkers—to be honest. But after missing the most important meeting with the richest client her law firm has ever seen—and losing him to the city's second best law firm—Regina felt like a failure; an irritated failure. And if that wasn't bad enough, then the fact that she managed to rip her favorite skirt was the crappy icing on the crappy cake. Nothing seemed to be in her favor today.

After a stressful morning, and even more stressful day at work, Regna decides to go to the one place that always makes her relax: _Craw's._ _Craw's _is a little "hole in the wall" café that she discovered during her undergrad years at _Columbia_. She remembers stumbling upon it during an especially stressful finals week. It was raining the day she found it; she had an arm full of books, and a heavy backpack slung over her shoulder. She remembers trying to look through the café's tinted windows, watching customers of all social circles enter and exit the establishment with large smiles on their faces. The place seemed like a calm environment, and at the time, that's exactly what Regina needed. Since then, whenever Regina is having an especially rough day, she comes here. Today is no exception.

Regina pushes open the door, inhaling the aroma of freshly made coffee and pastries. She takes in the graffiti-covered walls, the dark leather sofas, and the smiling patrons sitting around the dimly lit tables. She smiles, immediately feeling a sense of calm wash over her. She makes her way to the front counter, expecting to see her usual barista, Mike, behind the counter. But instead, she sees someone who is not her longtime friend. Instead, she finds someone completely new behind the counter. A highly attractive someone.

"Welcome to _Craw's,_ what can I get ya?" The blonde barista asks her in a friendly tone, her green eyes locking with Regina's in an instant. Regina feels her mouth go dry as she examines the gorgeous blonde before her. Her eyes trail down from the blonde's messy bun, to her plain white t-shirt, to the blue apron tied around her waist. Emma smirks at the brunette's leering and clears her throat, snapping Regina's attention back to her face. "Do you like what you see?" The blonde asks jokingly, her brow quirked in a playful manner. Regina's cheeks tinge pink and she clears her throat awkwardly, averting her gaze to the wall menu behind the barista.

"Um, yeah. That coffee sure looks good." Regina says lamely, causing a chuckle to escape the blonde's mouth.

"And what would you like in your coffee?"

"A plain black coffee would be fine, dear. Oh, and a scone would be nice as well." Regina tells the barista awkwardly, her eyes still glued to the wall menu. Emma laughs quietly and nods—not that Regina could see it anyway, seeing as her attention was still focused on the menu that she has long since memorized.

"Okay, one black coffee and a scone coming right up." Emma tells her, ringing up the price on the cash register. Regina snaps her attention away from the wall menu and looks at the price, pulling out her wallet to pay. Emma holds up her hand in a halting manner and shakes her head, a warm smile on her face. "It's on the house."

"That's okay, I can pay—"

"It's okay, I've got it covered. You look like you've had a pretty rough day, and I believe that a random act of kindness is exactly what you need. Please, allow me to do this one nice thing for you." The barista says kindly. Regina smiles at the blonde woman and nods.

"Thank you, um—I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name."

"Emma Swan."

"Well, I am pleased to meet you, Emma Swan. I'm Regina Mills." The attorney says as she outstretches her hand towards the blonde. Emma giggles lightly and takes the offered hand, giving it a firm shake.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Mills." She tells her charmingly, a lopsided smile forming on her face. Regina feels her cheeks flush and she clears her throat awkwardly, averting her gaze from the gorgeous barista. Emma watches her with a smile before grabbing a take-out coffee cup and filling it with freshly brewed coffee. She hands over the cup to Regina, and then heads over to the pastry display case, picking up a pair of tongs and a paper bag, placing a freshly baked scone into it. She hands the bag over to Regina and offers her a bright smile. "Enjoy!"

"Thank you, Miss Swan."

"No problem, Miss Mills."

Regina feels her phone vibrate in her purse, and fishes out the small device with her free hand. She notices the time with wide eyes and looks up at Emma with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I must get going. It was nice meeting you, Emma. Thank you again for the treats; they're greatly appreciated." Regina tells her genuinely. Emma shrugs nonchalantly and offers a small grin.

"You're welcome. I hope to see you again, Miss Mills. Please, stop by any time. I'd love to see your beautiful face around here again." The blonde says with a wink. Regina blushes and takes up her goodies, making her way towards the café exit.

"See you later, Emma Swan." And with that, she exits the café and heads out into the warm, spring air.

As she goes to place the paper bag into her purse, she spots purple writing on the bag. She looks at the unfamiliar handwriting in confusion until she reads what's written.

_You should smile more often. In the five minutes that I've known you, I've witnessed your smile light up a room. That's corny, I know, but I bet that put a smile on your face. I'm sure many people are mistaking your smile for the sun right now, and that's okay. More people need to witness the beauty hidden behind your frown. I hope that I've managed to brighten up your day a little. I hope to see you again soon. –Emma Swan, your new favorite barista. _

_P.S. My number is written on the bottom of your coffee cup. Ya know, just in case you ever wanted to give me a call. No pressure though. Have a great day, beautiful. _

Regina smiles widely at the note and makes her way to the street curb, hailing herself a taxi. Once inside, she mindlessly rattles off the address to Henry's school, and slowly, raises her coffee cup to peek beneath it. Sure enough, there is a phone number written in purple sharpie. Regina chuckles to herself and shakes her head in amusement.

It looks like her gloomy day was starting to brighten up.


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Blanchard read us a story before nap time, and then when I woke up, I played with the race cars, but Kenneth snatched them away from me, so I pinched him…and then he started crying. Kenneth is such a cry baby." Henry relays to his mother as they walk up the path leading to their loft apartment—located in the better part of Brooklyn. Regina reaches into her purse, balancing her empty coffee cup in her arms, and pulls out her keys, handing the superman keychain to Henry. Henry grabs the keychain from his mother with a toothy grin, and puts the key into the lock, opening the door a few seconds later, and bounding into the loft excitedly while leaving the keys hanging from the lock. Regina chuckles under breath and shakes her head in amusement, placing her purse back over her shoulder, and swiftly pulling the key out of the lock, while kicking the door closed behind her. She places her purse on the side table and makes sure to lock the front door before moving further inside of the loft, finding a trail of Henry's clothes leading to his bedroom. She shakes her head to herself and picks up the discarded clothing as she moves closer to his room. She swears her son was a stripper in his past life.

"Henry, what have I told you about leaving your clothes lying around the loft?" Regina chastises, watching in amusement as her son parades around his room in nothing but his birthday suit. Regina is sure her four year old son has more personality than more than half of the people she works with at the law firm. Henry turns around to face his mother, in all his naked glory, and offers her a sheepish smile. Regina giggles at his expression and walks over to his dresser, pulling out a superman onesie and underwear out of his top drawer. "Let's get you in the bath, shall we?" She says with a raised brow. Henry grins and grabs his scuba goggles.

"Okay! I'll race you!" He exclaims loudly, already running into the nearby bathroom. Regina chuckles at her son's enthusiasm and quickly follows after him the moment she hears the water running. The last time she allowed him to start a bath, he managed to get water everywhere. And when she says everywhere, she literally means _everywhere_; the floor, the sink, all four walls, even the fucking _ceiling_. Her son is truly talented in making a mess, and the last thing she wants to do is to walk into a freaking homemade water park…again.

"You better not be splashing around in there, mister!"

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"Mommy, do you want me to throw away your cup for you?" Henry asks Regina, pointing to the empty takeout coffee cup from earlier that day. Henry makes a grab for it when his mother hesitates to answer, but immediately freezes when she opens her mouth to speak.

"No! I mean, _no_, you could just hand it over to me." She says embarrassedly, her cheeks tinged with pink at her outburst. Henry looks at his mother with wide eyes and silently hands over the cup, watching his mom warily. Regina sends him an apologetic smile, and he shrugs to himself, sliding off of his seat at the dinner table.

"I'm gonna go to my room and color." He states out of the blue, skipping merrily to his bedroom. Regina watches him go with a soft smile and shakes her head at herself once she's alone. Regina takes a deep breath and looks down at the coffee cup in her hand, tilting the cup up so the bottom of it is visible. She takes her bottom lip between her teeth and rereads the cell phone number written on the object. She's read and reread the short note from the beautiful barista a total of 15 times during her cab ride to Henry's school and managed to stare at the phone number for minutes at a time. How can someone she doesn't even know write something that sweet about her? How has this stranger managed to turn her entire crappy day around? One moment, she was cursing the world and all of its inhabitants, and the next moment she was practically radiating sunshine and rainbows. Whoever this woman is, she is a miracle worker; a miracle worker whose number is now in Regina's possession. But should she call her? What would they even talk about if she did? As far as Regina could tell, the two women had absolutely nothing in common.

Where Emma was sweet and empathetic, Regina was sour and indifferent. Where Emma smiles, Regina scowls. Where Emma is genuinely nice, Regina is often for forced by her superiors to _play_ nice. Regina honestly has no idea what she could possibly have in common with the, obviously, younger woman. Though, the more she tries to rationalize why she shouldn't call Emma, the more she finds herself picking up her cell phone and typing in the number written under the coffee cup. Before she can talk herself out of it, she presses the call button with a nervous sigh, and bring the phone to her ear. The phone rings twice before it is answered by a familiar female voice.

"_Hello?"_

Regina releases a shaky breath and opens her mouth to say something—anything. But nothing comes out.

"_Is anyone there? Hello?"_ The voice says impatiently. Regina quickly ends the call and tosses her phone face down onto the dining room table. She runs her fingers through her chocolate locks and pouts to herself. _Way to be a coward, Regina_, she thinks to herself.

"Mommy, I'm ready for bed." Henry says softly, his voice floating out of his bedroom and into the dining room. Regina smiles at her son's voice and raises up from her seat, clearing the dishes off of the table, and placing them in the sink. She sighs to herself and looks longingly at the tilted coffee cup, staring at the phone number written beneath it in contemplation. Should she call again and actually say something? . "Mommy, come on." Henry whines sleepily. Regina shakes her head at herself and makes her way to Henry's room to tuck her little man into bed.

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_3 Days Later…._

"What the hell is this?" Regina exclaims as she looks down at the large stack of manila folders placed upon her desk.

"Your new case files." Brian, her coworker and friend, says behind her, successfully startling her. She clutches her hand over her chest and slowly turns around to face her friend, taking in the sight of his mischievous smirk and sparkling hazel eyes.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Well, if I did, then you'd be out of work for a while, leaving me alone in this hell hole….so, no, no I was not." He says with a dazzling smile, the dimples in his cheeks becoming more prominent as his smile widens. Regina rolls her eyes playfully at the man as she turns back to her desk, picking up one of the manila folders, and looking over the document. Brian peers over her shoulder and reads along with Regina, mumbling out the sentences in her ear. Regina turns her head and sends him an irritated glare, causing him to smirk, raise his hands up in mock surrender, and take a step back to give her room. "Anything good?"

"You were reading; you would know." Regina clips out as she picks up a different folder and reads over the next case file. She releases a tired sigh and tosses the file back onto the pile.

"I'm assuming the cases are less than exciting?" Brian guesses as he takes in the brunette's furrowed brows, pursed lips, and irritated sigh.

"I think Gold is punishing me for losing Mr. Humphreys to _M&S_."

"Ah, so I'm guessing you have a pile of personal injury lawsuit cases stacked on your desk then." He hums out, receiving a questioning look from Regina. He shrugs. "Gold did the same to me when I lost an important client to _M&S_ a few years ago." Regina releases a humorless chuckle and shakes her head in bemusement. Of course Gold would be punishing her. Mr. Gold was her boss, and the owner of her law firm, _Gold & Partners. M&S, also known as Mumford and Sons, _was _G&P's _biggest competition. The two firms have been competing with one another for years, both of the owners continuously stealing clients from one another at any given opportunity. Being the amazing attorney that she is, _M&S _has attempted to recruit Regina many times, offering her a larger pay, but less flexible work hours. That caused Regina to automatically decline their offer, seeing as she has a small, elementary-aged child who needs as much attention and care as possible.

"I'm going to go on a coffee run." Regina states randomly, causing Brian's eyebrows to raise.

"But you just got here."

"And now I'm leaving. I'll be back in 30."

"Okay… well can you bring me back something?" Brian calls out as she exits her office and heads towards the nearest elevator.

"No." She says dryly over her shoulder.

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"Next in line—Regina? You came back." Emma says in surprise as she holds up a coffee cup, her green eyes wide. Regina smiles shyly at the blonde and shrugs nonchalantly.

"Yes, well, I was in need of caffeine and this is a coffee shop, so…." She lies easily. Emma quirks a brow at the woman, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Is caffeine the only reason you came here? Or did you just want to see me again?"

Regina rolls her eyes at the woman's cockiness and averts her gaze to the menu on the wall. She does her best to ignore the heat rising on her cheeks and clears her throat awkwardly. "I uh—I just wanted coffee, dear." Regina says lamely.

"Well, there's over 50 places in this city that serve coffee, so I'm just going to assume you came here to see me." Emma says confidently, sending a flirtatious wink towards a red-faced Regina. "Did you like my note?" Regina keeps her attention on the menu and shrugs, doing her best to ignore the blonde's knowing smirk. "You know, I never got a call. I was waiting by my phone all night, but you never called. Unless you did, and just hung up." Regina's face goes from red to a light shade of purple at the playful accusation. Emma notices this and chuckles to herself. "If I'm making you uncomfortable with my unsubtle flirting, then I'm sorry. You're just really beautiful, like, probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in person. Plus, this is the second time I've ever seen you, and just like last time, you look like someone majorly pissed you off. I guess I just don't like seeing people upset." Emma says genuinely. Regina turns to look at the blonde and offers her a small smile. "So, same order as last time?"

"You know what? Surprise me." Regina says instead, surprising the barista. Emma grins widely at her and turns around to grab some ingredients, and then starts mixing and blending random things. Regina takes this time to look around the shop, noticing how empty it is. She isn't surprised though; very few people know about this place. Regina turns back towards the counter, her eyes focusing on Emma as the blonde moves around her work station effortlessly, topping Regina's surprise beverage with cinnamon. The blonde returns to the counter, placing the cup onto the surface. Regina looks at the drink, observing its contents curiously.

"It's a chocolate espresso milkshake."

"That's, um, wow. Do you have any idea how much sugar is in that?" Regina complains. Emma smirks and offers a noncommittal shrug.

"Well, you said to surprise you, and I did. You seem very tense; practically all time. Think of this as your first step to letting loose." Regina gapes at the blonde for a moment, before taking up a straw from the container holding them, and places it into her cold, frothy drink. Emma watches closely as she takes up the cup and brings the straw to her lips. After taking a tentative sip from the drink, Regina hums in approval. For a sugar-filled beverage that could possibly induce a heart attack, it was pretty good. Emma smirks in amusement and Regina continues to slurp her drink, never detaching her lips from the straw. "Good, huh?" Regina playfully glares at the blonde and pulls away from the straw.

"I suppose this will suffice." Regina says dryly, taking another sip from her straw.

"So….admit it, you came here for me." Emma says teasingly. Regina ignores her and takes out her wallet.

"How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house."

"You have to let me pay, Emma."

"Next time you come back, I'll allow you to pay. But for today, it's on the house."

"Well, thank you. Again. You're sweet." Regina says softly. Emma smiles at the woman and shyly laughs. Regina looks at the clock hanging beside the wall menu and sighs. "I have to get back to work before my boss realizes I'm gone." Regina regretfully says. Emma pouts at that but nods.

"So, you ditched work? How badass of you. What do you do?"

"I'm an attorney." Emma's eyes widen slightly before realization sets in.

"So that explains the power suit." The barista says with a playful smirk. Regina rolls her eyes playfully and chuckles. "You should really get back to work. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

"Right. I'll see you soon, Emma." Regina says as she places her wallet back into her purse and heads towards the exit.

"Are you ever going to use my number?" Emma calls out. Regina turns her head towards the blonde and sends a smirk in her direction.

"We'll see." And with that, the attorney walks out of the coffee shop and is immediately surrounded by the warm spring air.

This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So, here's a new chapter! It's a bit of a filler to further along the friendship between Regina and Emma. Next chapter will reveal much more about Regina and will have more Emma/Regina interaction, but anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

"So, you really didn't bring me back anything?" Brian asks with a pout as Regina steps back into her office, only one coffee cup in her hand. Regina ignores him and takes a seat behind her desk, resting her cup on the coaster resting beside her office phone. Brian eyes her beverage with curiosity, just noticing the straw sticking out of it. Since when does Regina drink anything in the morning that requires a straw? And is that whipped cream on the top of it? And why is it so frothy? "What the hell are you drinking? That sure doesn't look like black coffee to me." He observes aloud, causing an unreadable expression to cross Regina's face.

"That's because it's not." She says shortly, grabbing one of the case files off of her desk, and looking over it as a way to ignore her friend's curious gaze. When she still feels hazel eyes burning into the side of her face, she looks up at her friend in annoyance. "What?"

"I've known you for 10 years….since when do you drink anything other than black coffee?"

"Since now? Don't you have a job to do?" She snaps in annoyance. Brian shrugs and turns towards the open office door across from Regina's, the desk in the room completely bare.

"No, not really. I can help you review your case files, if you want." Regina wordlessly nods and hands him half her stack, gesturing for him to take a seat on her office couch. He does as he's told and takes a seat on the couch, making himself comfortable by lying on the couch horizontally, the case study held above his face. Regina studies his position with a scowl.

"Sit upright on my couch, or get out." He sighs exaggeratedly and offers his friend a playful smirk. He sits upright and starts looking over the case files in a more dignified manner. When the office is engulfed in silence for a few minutes, both parties looking over case files and making notes on each file, Brian peers over his folder, studying Regina as she takes a sip of her sugary beverage. He notices the small smile form on her face as she places her beverage back onto her coaster. He smiles to himself. She's met someone. If Regina were anyone else, he would have asked her about it straight away, but since she's not, he knows he'll have to gather more evidence to support his claim before he can tease her about this mystery person. Sometimes being best friends with a lawyer had its downfalls. But on the bright side, Regina met someone; she actually met someone. Since he can't outwardly express his delight with the situation, he will have an internal celebration later on. He watches as she glances at her beverage with another small smile, a pink tint dusting across her cheeks. Yeah, she's definitely smitten with this mystery person already. He can't wait for the day he gets to tease her relentlessly about it.

Regina's got herself a crush.

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"How was he today?" Regna asks Miss Blanchard, Henry's pre-k teacher, as she stands outside of his classroom and waits for him to gather his things.

"He was an angel today. He completed all of his work, played nicely with the others, and even went as far as apologizing and sharing a cookie with Kevin for pinching him yesterday. He's a sweetheart." Miss Blanchard says with a smile. Regina finds herself smiling as well. Her son, the sweetheart who pinches other children for stealing their toys. So sweet. She's going to have to scold him for that later since she was far too distracted to do it the day before. She watches as Henry talks to another kid in the classroom, his green eyes wide with excitement, and his excited babbling making its way to Regina's ears. Regina chuckles as he spots her at the doorway of his classroom, and excitedly bounds over to her with his backpack held out in his hands. He tackles her leg and wraps his arm around her thigh in a tight embrace.

"Hi, mommy!"

"Hey, baby." Regina says lovingly as she runs her fingers through his unruly brown locks. Henry looks up at her with a large grin on his face, his arms still wrapped securely around her thigh. "You ready to go, bug?"

"Yeah! Bye, Miss Blanchard! See you on Monday!" He babbles out as he runs ahead of Regina and towards the double doors at the school's entrance. Regina offers Miss Blanchard a polite wave and jogs after her son, managing to snatch him up into her arms before he can make it outside. Henry squeals as Regina lifts him up in her arms and peppers kisses all over his face. "Mommy!" He rasps out with a giggle. Regina smiles widely at the cuteness of her son, and places a few more kisses on his face before lowering him onto the ground. Once he's standing on his own two feet, Regina holds out a hand to him, which he quickly takes, and he begins talking animatedly about his day. The pair walk over to the waiting cab and enter, Henry's mouth still going a mile-a-minute. Regina smiles at down at her son, not really hearing a word coming out of his mouth, but far too entranced by his bright smile and sparkling green eyes to care. To think that someone as cynical and hard as her could have given birth to someone as loving and happy as him.

"Mommy, are you listening?" He asks with a pout, his eyes dancing over his mother's features searchingly. Regina runs her fingers through his unruly brown curls and nods, plastering on a bright smile to appease him. Henry smiles back and begins babbling on again, causing Regina to chuckle at his innocence.

The cab comes to a stop a few moments later, and the pair have already paid the cab and are entering their loft apartment. Once inside, Henry begins stripping off his school clothes, leaving behind a trail of clothing and an amused Regina. She chuckles at her son and heads into the kitchen, grabbing a bottled water. As she takes a seat at the kitchen counter, she notices the note from a few days prior, the sharpie writing catching her eye. She grabs it and looks over the words, a small smile gracing her lips at her favorite new barista's sweet message. She rereads the words over and over again, her smile getting impossibly wider by the second. Just a few inches away from where the note was placed, was the old takeout coffee cup—now rinsed out and cleaned to prevent ants from discovering it—in all its taunting glory. She thinks about the number written on the bottom of it; the same number that is now in her call history. Regina listens as Henry shuffles out his bedroom, now dressed in an oversized SpongeBob t-shirt and superman boxers.

"Mommy, can I have a cookie?"

"After dinner."

"When will we have dinner?"

"After I order it. Would you like Chinese or Pizza?" His face lights up at the mention of Pizza and Regina knows she has her answer.

"Cheese Pizza, please?"

"Sure thing, little man. Go into the living room and start on your homework. You can watch some cartoons when you're done."

"Okay!" He says with a bright smile, bouncing into the living room and picking up his discarded backpack on the way. Regina shakes her head in amusement and grabs her phone to order the pizza. Once her order is set, she stares at her call log and sees the familiar number she called a few days prior, having already saved the number under the name _Blondie the Barista. _Her thumb hovers over the number, completely itching to press the call button. After staring at the number for several moments, she bites the bullet and clicks on the call button, placing the phone to her ear, while she bites her lip nervously.

After two rings, a familiar cheery voice answers.

"_Hello?" _

Regina opens her mouth, trying to force herself to say something—anything.

"_Is anyone there?"_

Swallowing her nervousness, Regina speaks. "Hi, uh, Emma? It's, uh, Regina…from the coffee shop…" She trails off nervously, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she waits for the other woman to speak.

"_I knew you'd eventually call….well, _call again_. Hi, Regina! How are you?" _Emma says cheerily, a smile evident in her voice. Regina finds her lips upturning at the woman's tone of voice, and sighs in relief.

"Hi, Emma. I'm doing okay, I just thought I'd put your number to use. How are you?"

"_I'm great! I got off of work an hour ago, and now I'm getting ready for my night class."_

"Night class? Oh, you're a student?" Regina asks warily. A student? How old is this cheery blonde, exactly?

"_I'm a grad student, yes. I'm currently working on my Master's degree in English literature." _Oh, a grad student. That's better, Regina supposes. _"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking _'how old is this woman who flirts so shamelessly with me_', just so you know, I'm 27 and not as young as you're probably thinking I am." _Emma says with a breathy laugh. Regina finds herself smiling.

"Oh, well at least now I know you aren't just an infatuated teenager trying to catch my attention." The brunette jokes, eliciting a giggle from the younger blonde.

"_Well, no. Instead I'm a woman in her late twenties who is very much attracted to you and trying to catch your attention. And it looks like my plan has worked so far. So, since you know how old I am, is it okay for me to ask how _young_ you are?" _The blonde asks charmingly. Regina releases a breathy chuckle and responds.

"I'm 30. Bet you thought I was older, huh?"

"_Actually, I thought you were much younger. You look 25, but hey, I wasn't too far off. You're still a gorgeous woman either way." _

"Wow, you're quite the charmer, aren't you?" Regina says with a smirk on her lips. Emma chuckles, and Regina can practically feel the other woman shrug in nonchalance.

"_It's a gift. But I meant what I said: you're a gorgeous woman." _Regina blushes at the genuineness in the other woman's tone and clears her throat awkwardly.

"So….you're working on your Masters in English Literature. How's that going?" Regina asks instead, suddenly wanting to learn more about the sweet, but mysterious, barista.

"_It's going great! I'll officially have my Master's degree in a few months. I'm currently an English professor at Brooklyn Community College, and you know, the higher the degree, the higher the pay. Not that I wouldn't enjoy doing my job without the paycheck, but it would definitely be an upgrade. Rent in New York is definitely not cheap, and a teacher's salary is certainly not the best." _

"So, you're job at _Craw's _is just a part-time job?"

"_For now, it is. Just something to give me some extra pocket change for now. You see, I only teach 4 classes, 2 days a week. I'm definitely not rolling in the dough right now." _

"Understandable. I—"

"Mommy! Someone's at the door!" Henry yells out from his bedroom, his voice traveling to the kitchen.

"Okay, sweetie!" Regina yells back, grabbing her wallet from out of her purse that's resting on the kitchen counter. "Hey, I have to go."

"_Oh, it's fine. I actually have to head out now anyway. I'm glad you called, Regina. Hopefully we can do this again? Maybe we could even hang out sometime. And don't hesitate to bring over the owner of that cute little voice with you, if you agree to hang out with me, that is."_ The blonde says sincerely, causing a grateful smile to grace Regina's face.

"I'd like that. Bye, Emma."

"_Bye, Regina._"

And with that, the line goes dead, and with a goofy grin on her face, Regina places her phone onto the counter and goes to answer the door. After exchanging her money for the pizza, she kicks closed the door and heads into living room, setting the pizza box onto the coffee table and eyeing her son with a smile. "Time to eat!"

"Pizza!" He cheers with a giggle.

"Pizza!" Regina cheers back, giggling softly at her son as she places a kiss atop his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, Happy Valentine's Day. Here is a new chapter for you lovely people. I hope you all enjoy!**

"Good morning, gorgeous. What can I get for you today?" The blonde barista asks as Regina enters the café. Regina smiles at the woman as she approaches the counter and offers an unhelpful shrug.

"I don't know. Why don't you surprise me?" Regina answers nonchalantly, causing a large grin to spread across Emma's face. Emma winks playfully, grin still in place, and turns towards her work station to prepare the brunette's beverage. Regina watches as the blonde moves around the kitchen effortlessly, grabbing random ingredients and mixing them into the steaming liquid being poured into a Styrofoam coffee cup. Emma returns a few moments later with a steaming takeout coffee cup, and a large smile on her face, placing the beverage before Regina. Regina picks up the cup with steady hands, and removes the lid to blow on the steaming liquid. After bringing the cup to her lips and taking a tentative sip, Regina hums out in approval. "This is delicious, what is it?"

"It's a pumpkin spice latte. Usually these are only sold during the holiday season, but I make them all year 'round." Emma says with a playful eyebrow wiggle. Regina chuckles and takes another cautious sip, careful not to burn her tongue.

"I thought you just got this job?"

"Oh, I used to work part-time at a coffee house down the street. I worked there for about two years before I decided to get a change of scenery." The blonde offers with a shrug as she watches the brunette take a few more sips. In that moment, she notices the brunette's casual attire; something she never thought she'd see the brunette in. Her eyes rake over the tight, black, skinny jeans, and the plain, red button down top, with the first three buttons undone, revealing a lacy black camisole. "Whoa, you look…_wow_. I honestly would have never pegged you for a jeans type of girl." Emma says playfully, but with genuine surprise in her statement.

Regina looks down at her attire and smirks. "Believe it or not, I have more than just power suits in my wardrobe."

"Well, that's good to know."

"So, how much do I owe you?" Regina asks, placing the coffee cup onto the counter and preparing to pull her wallet out of her purse that is hanging from her shoulder. Emma raises up her hand in a _halting _motion, successfully halting Regina's movements.

"It's on the house." Emma says with a smirk, already knowing what's going to come out of the brunette's mouth.

"You said that you would let me to pay this time; so that is exactly what I intend to do." Regina retorts stubbornly, pulling a five dollar bill out of her wallet and placing it on the counter. Before Emma gets a chance to return the bill back to the brunette, the woman is already walking towards one of the tables in the dining area. Regina takes a seat at the table closest to the counter, smirking to herself as she feels Emma's eyes boring into her back. She keeps her back to the woman as she continues to sip on her beverage, hearing the creak of the counter door, and slow footsteps sounding behind her. A few moments later, she watches as the blonde appears before her, on the other side of the table, her eyes asking for permission to join her. Regina silently gestures to the seat across from her, and Emma takes that as her cue to sit.

"So…you're not in a rush today." Emma observes. "No work?"

"Nope, it's Saturday, and I always take the weekend off."

"That would explain your casual attire. You look amazing in those jeans, by the way. They fit you like a dream." Regina snorts at Emma's praise and raises a teasing brow at the woman. Emma smirks at her and leans back in her chair, nervously wringing her hands together. Is she nervous to be this close to her without a large counter separating them? The pink tint on the blonde's cheeks confirm those suspicions. "So, thanks for calling me last night. I honestly thought you would never try calling me again, ya know, after that one time you called and hung up."

Regina's cheeks tinge pink at being called out. "You really knew it was me?"

"Well, no, but I had a feeling it was. I saved your number just in case, and when you called again last night, my suspicions were confirmed."

"Well, that's embarrassing…" Regina mumbles around her drink. Emma giggles and shakes her head in disagreement.

"No, it's cute. It reminded me of the way I used to call my crushes and hang up the moment they answered. It took me back. So, I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries but….last night on the phone…that voice that I heard in the background…" Emma trails off, eyeing Regina warily

"That voice belonged to my four year old son, Henry." Regina says with a smile, answering the woman's unspoken question. Emma nods at that and captures her bottom lip between her teeth, the tips of her ears turning the faintest shade of pink. Regina understand her internal worries immediately and opens her mouth to assuage the woman's fears. "I'm a single mom, dear. The only love in my life is my son." Regina says calmly, causing a small smile to cross Emma's face and a sigh of relief to escape through her lips.

"Oh, thank God. I was scared that you were taken and that I had been flirting shamelessly with a taken woman all this time. I would have felt awful if that were the case."

"If I was taken, I would have made that clear from the very beginning." Regina assures her. Emma smiles and nods.

"So, where is the little guy? With a babysitter?"

"He's with my older sister. She lives just outside the city and wanted some quality time with her nephew, so I let her take him for the day. He was excited to spend the day with his Auntie Zellie." Regina says with a small chuckle and an amused grin. Emma returns the grin and places her elbow on the table, allowing her cheek to rest on the palm of her hand as she watches the woman before her talk about her family. Regina's eyes light up at the mention of her son and her sister, and Emma can't help but feel a flutter in her heart at the loving look on the other woman's face. It's a nice look on her; much better than the pissed off expression that's usually on her face. "So, do you have any kids? Siblings, perhaps?" Emma clears her throat awkwardly and focuses her gaze on the table.

"Nope; no kids, and no siblings." Emma says shortly, seemingly uncomfortable with the topic. Regina drops it and nods, taking a small sip of her beverage. Emma is grateful for her not pushing the subject and sighs in relief.

"Is it always this empty on weekends?" The attorney gestures around the empty café, changing the subject.

"Pretty much. No one really comes in until around noon, and considering that it's only ten, there's still two hours left of silence."

"Sounds tedious. And lonely."

"It is."

A silence envelops the quiet café as Regina sips at her cooling drink, looking around the empty café with a scrutinizing eye. She takes in the new chairs and tables placed inside, as well as the new leather sofas placed on the other end of the dining area. She studies the music posters hung up on one wall, and the pieces of graffiti art hung up on another. This place has changed a lot since her college days, but ultimately, has still managed to stay the same. Though the posters and furniture are relatively new, the overall atmosphere is as relaxing as ever; very much the same as when she hung out here as a college kid. She looks across the table and notices Emma stealing shy glances at her every so often. When their eyes lock, Emma looks away quickly, a blush forming on her cheeks. This is so unlike the cocky blonde she met over a week ago. It's amusing.

"So, you're an English professor. How long have you been teaching?" Emma startles at the sudden voice and clears her throat awkwardly, causing a smirk to cross Regina's lips.

"I, um, I've been teaching for about 4 years now."

"Do you like teaching?"

"I love it. Something about getting students into a subject you're so passionate about, and inspiring them in a way you never thought possible, is truly rewarding. I wouldn't trade what I do for anything." The barista says sincerely, a small smile settling on her lips. "What about you? Do you enjoy being an attorney? Or is it one of those family businesses that you were talked into?" She says teasingly, causing a chuckle to escape Regina's throat.

"No, it was nothing like that. My mom is a cardiologist, my dad is an investment banker, and my sister is a college dean. None of them forced me into law, I just… I liked the idea of arguing with people for a living. I liked the idea of righting the wrongs of our judicial system and helping grant freedom to those who truly deserve it. There is so much wrong with our system, and I take every case I win as a small victory to righting the wrongs that we, as a society, often face."

"I get it. I'm sure you're amazing at what you do." The barista says genuinely. Regina scoffs playfully and shrugs.

"Well, duh." The two women share a laugh and bask in each other's company, neither woman remembering the last time they felt so comfortable around a stranger. The bell hanging over the café entrance rings, popping the women out of their small bubble. They face the door and see a group of people entering the café, all ten of them heading to the counter and forming a line. Regina turns back to Emma and Emma offers her an apologetic smile.

"It looks like everyone decided to come earlier today. Duty calls." She says with a resigned sigh. Regina offers her a sympathetic smile and raises up from her seat, pushing the chair underneath the table. Emma does the same and tells the customers she'll be with them in a second. "Thanks for keeping me company."

"Thanks for always giving me free beverages."

"Yeah, no problem. So, do you want to hang out again? Maybe tomorrow morning or something?"

"I, unfortunately, am spending tomorrow in Staten Island with my parents. Maybe next weekend we can plan something? Get to know each other a little better, perhaps." Regina offers. Emma's eyes brighten at that.

"Like a date?"

"Maybe. Who knows?" Regina says coyly. "So, you up for it?"

Yeah, definitely! So, hopefully I'll see you again during the week?" She asks, more than states. Regina smiles softly and nods.

"I'll see you early Monday morning."

"Right. I gotta go. I'll text you later or something." Emma tells her as she makes her way around the counter, quickly taking her customer's orders. Regina watches her work for a second, a smile on her face, and decides to take her leave. She makes her way towards the door, and feels eyes on her as she exits the café.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Later that day…._

"How was he?"

"He was an angel. To think that you could have created such a sweet and well-behaved son." Zelena says playfully, a smirk adorning her face. Regina rolls her eyes at her older sister, and eyes her sleeping son with a smile. "You were such a nightmare at four. Adorable, yes, but absolutely evil."

"And you were absolutely wicked, so, we're even." The brunette murmurs as she runs her fingers through her son's unruly curls; eyeing the facial features so similar to her own.

"So, where were you all morning? You were supposed to join us for a late breakfast."

"Oh, I, um—I went for a coffee."

Zelena raises a suspicious brow at that. "Who were you meeting for coffee?"

"What? I never said that I was meeting anyone. I just said that I went out for coffee. You know, _alone_."

"Whatever you say, little sister." The older Mills sister says as she hears Regina's phone vibrate in her jeans pocket, the light shining through the thick fabric. She notices the pink tint spread across Regina's cheeks as she reads the message on her phone, a shy smile on her face as she types out a response to the message.

"Wow, they must be hot. Who are they? What are they like? Are they a man or woman?"

"None of your business, Zel. Just drop it." Regina says petulantly, a bright blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, so it's a woman. What does she look like?"

"Go away." Regina groans, walking into her sister's guest room, Zelena already hot on her heels.

"When do I get to meet her? How long have you two been dating?"

"She and I aren't dating. We just met like a week ago."

"So there is someone. And there is a woman. Aw, little sister, do you have a crush?" Zelena teases, taking great pleasure in her sister's embarrassment.

"You're so childish."

"And you're so in-like. I can see it on your face; you're starting to like this mystery woman. What's her name? What does she do? How old is she? Do you have a picture of her?"

"You're 35. Stop acting like a teenager."

"Stop acting like you don't want to gush about your new crush. Just do us both a favor, and tell me what I want to know."

"How about you mind your own business before I sue you for harassment?" Regina grumbles out as her phone vibrates, signaling that she has a new message. Zelena snorts at her sister's empty threat and moves behind her, peeking over her shoulder to read the message on her phone screen. Regina quickly catches on to her sister's actions and locks her phone, allowing blackness to fill the screen. The older woman huffs and crosses her arms over her chest.

"You suck."

"And you're nosy. Nothing is going on."

"_Yet_."

"…yet. But if it does, I'll let you know. Okay?" Regina pleads. Zelena sighs in defeat and nods. That's better than nothing, she supposes. "Great. I think I'm going to go take a nap with Henry, if that's okay."

"Go ahead. Make yourself at home." The redhead says with a shrug. Regina nods and makes her way back to the living room, her phone tucked safely in her pocket.

As Regina lays behind her son on her sister's large couch, her phone buzzes with a new message. She opens up the message and a smile immediately takes over her face.

_**Blondie the Barista: Thanks again for keeping me company this morning. If I didn't have to work alone most days, I'm sure my shifts wouldn't seem so bleak. Anyway, more customers are starting to fill in, and the place is getting surprisingly packed. I'll call you when my shift is over, if that's okay?**_

_**Regina: That would be more than okay. You are more than welcome for the company. I definitely didn't mind spending part of my morning with you. Have an exciting shift.**_

_**Blondie the Barista: Haha, thank you, beautiful. I hope the rest of your day is as amazing as the morning you gave me ;). Talk to you later, Miss Attorney.**_

Regina smiles at the message a little longer, rereading it a few times to make sure her eyes aren't playing tricks on her, and places her phone back into her pocket. She snuggles up behind her son, wrapping her arm around his tiny waist, and places a kiss atop his head. She releases a content sigh and closes her eyes, allowing sleep to take over as she joins her son in the land of dreams.


End file.
